


Heart and hearth

by PoisonJack



Series: FebuWhump 2021; star wars; borderlands fills [6]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha Jack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, General au, Insomnia, M/M, Omega Rhys, Omegaverse, Whump, rhack kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29347428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack
Summary: Jack can't sleep after a kidnapping attempt on his mate and pups. Rhys tries to help soothe him through the rough patch :)This is for day 6 ofFebuWhumpover on tumblr :) The prompt wasinsomnia.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands), Rhack - Relationship
Series: FebuWhump 2021; star wars; borderlands fills [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140923
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Heart and hearth

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so so sooooo behind. Been sick, things been crazy here, trying to catch up :)

“Jack, please come to bed.”

Rhys stood in the doorway of Jack’s home office. The alpha was slowly typing away, energy sapped and brain running on empty but refusing to quit. Jack hadn’t gotten much sleep since what he’d only refer to now as _the incident_ , and he was scared on some basic level that he’d let his family down again.

That’s why he stayed up writing new code for all his loaders; upgraded their home security features just in case; created more failsafes to lock down Helios if need be. Jack wouldn’t let them down again. Kidnapped _once_ was one time too many, even if nothing bad had happened.

“Jack…” Rhys’ voice was soft, and the omega entered the office to stand by the alpha’s side. He put a hand on Jack’s shoulder, and the alpha willingly moved into his embrace. Jack’s arms found their way around Rhys’ middle, and the omega drew fingers through the older man’s hair. “We’re safe. We’re all okay. You can sleep.”

“Rhysie--”

“ _No_. It _wasn’t_ your fault, Jack,” Rhys stopped him before he could shoulder the guilt again. 

The fact that Tassiter had _survived_ his strangling from Jack all those years ago couldn’t have been predicted by _anyone_. That the man would come back and target the alpha’s mate and pups had never even been on the radar, let alone an eventuality that Jack could’ve prepared for. Rhys wasn’t going to let him feel guilty for not seeing _that_ coming. Especially since he’d gotten them back without any harm. Now _that_ was some Hyperion efficiency right there.

“We’re all okay, alright?” Rhys repeated softly. “I told you. And Tassiter is _dead_ now. Really, _really_ dead. You made sure, Jack. You can sleep.”

Jack buried his face in the younger man’s chest as he pulled him close. He was _so_ tired, but his nightmares were consumed with replaying his mate and pups kidnapping with a different outcome. He was _scared_ to sleep, even if he was bone-tired and his mate was warm and welcoming. Rhys’ omega scent smelled like home and hearth, but it wasn’t enough to lull him to sleep. Jack hadn’t been able to willingly sleep in _days_.

“You can _rest_ , handsome,” Rhys continued, petting the alpha soothingly and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “No one is getting in our home. You designed it like a _fortress_ , right, Jack?”

His tired brain knew Rhys was trying to hammer home some sense of reassurance, but it was a difficult thing to shake: having one’s mate and pups held hostage by what had been assumed to be a _dead man_ was something straight out of a nightmare, and that had been his _reality_.

Jack let his mate pull him up from the chair and back towards their bedroom regardless. Rhys made sure the alpha was comfortable in their bed before sliding in behind him, holding the larger man and providing him the comfort he wouldn’t ask for but very clearly needed. Sleep still didn’t come, so consumed by the thought that if he nodded off, someone was going to steal his family away. Rhys just rubbed at his back in the dark and tried his best to soothe his mate, hoping the older man would finally get some rest.

“We’re in the safest place in all of Helios. The girls are safe and sound in the nursery,” Rhys purred, a warm hand trying to work tension out of Jack’s neck. “How about this? You get a couple of hours of sleep, and I’ll keep watch? Okay? I’ll stay awake the whole time.”

Jack snorted. He _wished_ that would work. 

Rhys told him to at least _try_. The bags under his eyes had bags under their eyes, and he was pale and jumpy.

….Jack jolted in the omega’s arms with Rhys’ name on his lips in a cry. He didn’t even know he’d fallen asleep, and it was like getting the call all over again.

The omega was quick to soothe and comfort, to reassure that both him and their pups were okay; Rhys was _watching_. It was okay to sleep.

Jack fought it off instead of going back under, and Rhys stayed awake with him, holding the alpha close and pressing kisses to his neck and hair. 

Jack slept longer after the first time he’d jolted awake, and the second time he found that Rhys was _still_ awake, still keeping watch like he’d promised, and running gentle fingers through the older man’s hair. It was an immensely reassuring way to wake after the initial jolt, and letting himself relax in the omega’s arms got easier each subsequent time.

For once in nearly five days, Jack allowed himself to accept the call of sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> YEP bring back Tassiter to be the bad guy again HAHAHAH xD 
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/a-ao3-fic-archive) | [my twitter](https://twitter.com/PurgeThatUrge)
> 
> Please leave kudos and/or a comment if you enjoyed! ;) ao3 FAQ: [Can I post comments anonymously, or if I don't have an Archive account? ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/comments-and-kudos?language_id=en#anoncomment)


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